Edward VI of England

Edward VI of England (12 October 1537-6 July 1553) was King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 to 6 July 1553, succeeding Henry VIII of England and preceding Lady Jane Grey. Edward, the long-awaited male heir of King Henry, reigned for just six years before dying at the young age of 15, but he notably established Protestantism as the state religion of England; this reform was briefly overturned by his successor and half-sister, Queen Mary I of England, after she overthrew Lady Jane.

Early life
Edward was born in Hampton Court Palace, Middlesex, England on 12 October 1537, the son of King Henry VIII of England and Jane Seymour. He was raised as a Protestant, and he was governed by Lady Margaret Bryan as a child. Edward was sickly, nearly dying from fever during his toddler years. Edward would have a good relationship with his older sister, Princess Elizabeth, who attempted to teach him Latin, and he was well-educated as a youth.

Reign
On 28 January 1547, Edward became King of England upon the death of his father; he was only nine years old. His realm was governed by a regency council due to his minority, and the council was first led by his uncle, Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, from 1547 to 1549. Somerset fought costly wars with Scotland and France, and several rebellions broke out against the council's rule. Peace with Scotland and France only came after the English withdrew from Scotland and Boulogne-sur-Mer, and the rebellions were crushed with military force. In 1549, John Dudley ousted Somerset from power and became the new regent. During Edward's reign, the Church of England was transformed into a recognizably Protestant body, with Edward taking up a great interest in religious affairs. Edward oversaw the abolition of clerical celibacy and the Mass and the imposition of compulsory services in English, and Protestantism was established as the state religion.

Edward fell terminally ill in February 1553, and he decided to name his Protestant cousin Lady Jane Grey as his heir, excluding his half-sisters Elizabeth and Mary from the succession. He died at Greenwich Palace on 6 July 1553 at the age of 15, and Jane would reign for just nine days before the Privy Council named Mary the new queen.